


Random Threads in my Arrow Quilt

by vaelisamaza (varellanoemo)



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2018-08-07 14:51:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7719061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/varellanoemo/pseuds/vaelisamaza
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Here is the start of some random scenes and stories that I think of while I write for my friends in the Olicity Fandom.<br/>As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This first story is called, "A Holiday Gift".  
> I wrote it last December and only posted it on Tumblr.  
> You may find missing scenes from the stories I've written so far.  
> I hope you enjoy this little nugget.

“So, what exactly is this again?” asked Lyla while holding up a small silver chain with a phone booth pendant dangling from it.

John smiled and replied, “Felicity said she wanted to make sure her Goddaughter had something to remind her that hope and inspiration can come from anything.” 

The quizzical look on Lyla’s face didn’t fade. She tilted her head and started to open her mouth to say something, then closed it quickly, making John laugh and continue, “One night while Felicity and I were talking in the Foundry, she mentioned that growing up she never really had anyone she could call a friend. So, she spent most of her time watching Public Television at her and her Mom’s apartment when her Mom was busy working at the casino. At night, when she would be alone because her Mom had been able to pick up a second shift, she loved to watch all the different British TV shows PBS would air. Her favorite one was Doctor Who, hence the phone booth charm.” 

John adjusted his position on the couch and leaned a little more forward to help Lyla pick up the discarded wrapping paper strewn across the floor of their home. He continued, “That show really inspired her love of technology and made her believe that she could do anything, be anything. It gave her the courage to move across the country to go to MIT, graduate and pursue her career in computer science.” John paused, then added, “Her hope is that Sara will wear this necklace and know that she can do anything and be anything she wants to be.”

Lyla frowned a little thinking of how sad it must have been for young Felicity, spending so much time on her own. She moved to get up and walked over to John and climbed into his lap, wrapping her arms around him and said, “Well she has us now and she’s always going to be a part of our family.”

John pulled his wife into a tighter embrace, kissed her forehead and said, “and she always will, no matter what.”

——————


	2. FF#50 - An Impulse Purchase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So here’s my first attempt at the Olicity Flash Fic challenge. I’m not sure if I’ll do more, but I needed a break from my current WIP.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> As a gentle reminder, all errors are my own.
> 
> I do not own these characters. I merely hope to do them justice.
> 
> Prompt #50: A Gun, a Guy and a Good Book

"I don't understand why I have to learn how to use this thing," Felicity stated for what felt like the fiftieth time.

An exasperated John Diggle replied, "Because Oliver and I both noticed that when Double Down attacked you and Curtis in the lair below Palmer Tech, most of the bullet holes were found above even my own eye level."

Felicity huffed and replied, "Well, that was only because I had my eyes closed and wasn't sure where I was firing."

John gave her a smirk and said, "At least you're honest about having your eyes closed. That is something that we can work on for the next time someone decides to storm the castle." Felicity gave John a side-eyed glanced, then he reached over and grabbed the gun from her and once again, slowly took her through each step of releasing the safety lock, the proper holding technique and aiming of the assault weapon he held. "Okay now Felicity," John said, "your target is over there. All you have to do is point, aim, keep your eyes open and shoot." John handed her the gun and helped position her feet to help her small frame brace from the kick she would feel once the gun began firing.

Felicity held the gun in her hands and said, "You do realize that I'm much more deadlier with my fingers and a keyboard, right?"

John just shook his head and smiled, "Be that as it may, you learning how to fire a weapon will give me some peace of mind..."

Felicity aimed the gun at the target, concentrated on keeping her eyes open and fired. The loud sound of the gun firing resonated throughout the lair. She put the gun down on the table in front of her and asked, "Well, aren't you going to bring in the target to see how badly I missed?"

John pressed a button and the target flew toward them.

The sound of a long, slow whistle diverted their attention. Oliver Queen was walking toward them with a grin on his face, carrying a bag and said, "I think you actually hit the target this time."

Felicity pursed her lips and John grinned. They both turned back their attention toward the target. Felicity's eyes widened and she smiled. She had hit the target, not with a kill shot, but she had definitely hit the target.

John couldn't help but give a surprised look and then he said with confidence, 'I knew she could do it all along."

Oliver wrapped his arms around Felicity and added, "I guess you won't be needing what I bought you if you're able to keep this up."

Felicity gave Oliver a questioning look. "What's in the bag?"

Oliver smiled wide and pulled out a familiar looking black and yellow book.

"You bought me 'Assault Weapons for Dummies'?" Felicity said with an angry gasp.

John chuckled and said, "Somebody's sleeping on the couch tonight."

Felicity glared at John, who held up both hands and took a step back from her, and then fixed her angry eyes at Oliver, "We're going to talk about this later tonight, Mister!" she said with a growl.

Oliver gave her a sheepish look and tried to explain himself, "I knew that you liked to read, and after I texted your Mom..."

"You texted my Mom!" Felicity exclaimed incredulously.

"I just wanted to confirm that you learned easier by reading about something versus doing something and she confirmed that for me, so I went down to the local book shop and found this there," he said with sincerity.

"I can't believe you texted my Mother," Felicity said, still having a hard time believing that he had done that.

"I think I'm going to head home now, guys," John said as he started to walk away. He looked at Oliver and said, "I can tell that you got this covered." Then John made a quick dash out of the lair and headed home.

Oliver now had Felicity's full attention and he knew he didn't like the angry look on her face. Oliver took a step toward her.

Felicity held up her hand and shook her head no.

Oliver stopped where he was and said, "Babe, I just thought that if you read about how to properly handle an assault weapon, you'd be a lot more willing to continue training with them." Oliver took a tentative step toward her.

Felicity didn't wave him off.

He took another step toward her, wrapped his arms around her and said, "I didn't mean to offend you, Hun. I just thought that this might be an easy shortcut for you to get more comfortable with these weapons." Then he tossed the book on to the table next to the gun and continued, "I used to read these books all the time when I was in school and they helped me."

Felicity tilted her head to the side and said, "Really? At all four schools you attended?"

Oliver laughed contagiously and Felicity couldn't help but laugh too.

"I'm sorry, Baby," he said with contrition.

Felicity smiled at him, shook her head and replied, "I hate those books. My Mom used to buy them for me all the time thinking that it would be a great shortcut for me to use instead of actually reading the real thing. I think when she finally realized that I was using them to prop up furniture and my computer screens, she finally stopped buying them for me."

Oliver said slyly, "Well if it helps, I bought one for me too."

Felicity gave him a quizzical look.

Oliver continued, "Go head, take a look in the bag."

Felicity opened the bag, pulled the book out and grinned. She looked up at Oliver, continuing to smile at him and said, "Oh, Honey, you don't need that book. You definitely learn by doing..."

"Well, then my Dear, how about we head home and get to doing?"

Felicity replied, "Why Mr. Queen, that's the best offer I've had today." Felicity tossed the book on the table and laughed to herself as they exited the lair, still trying to figure out why Oliver Queen would even buy 'Sex for Dummies'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this little bit of fluff.  
> Please leave me a comment and let me know.  
> Thank you for reading! :-)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is for @nalla-madness 
> 
> A little continuation of the one-shot I wrote for FF#50.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.
> 
> Enjoy!

Felicity sighed as the feeling of contentment washed over her.

Oliver wrapped his arm around her tighter bringer her warmth closer to him as they snuggled in bed. He gently kissed the top of her head and said, "I can hear you thinking, Felicity. Is everything alright?"

Felicity smiled and replied, "Completely." Then she tilted her head up and kissed him softly on the corner of his mouth. "I was hoping that you might want to share with me why you bought the book today?"

Oliver smiled, "Babe, I truly believed you would appreciate it as a thoughtful gesture on my part. I guess next time I'll just ask Lyla if I can borrow her technical manuals from her most recent weapons shipment."

Felicity shook her head and laughed, "No silly," she replied, "I meant why would you even think that you needed to buy 'Sex for Dummies'?" she asked.

It was Oliver's turn to chuckle. He pushed himself up on the bed and lifted Felicity along with him into a sitting position. "Sentimental reasons," he answered.

Felicity gave him an incredulous look and said, "Somehow, I feel like this sentimental reason involves Tommy for some reason?"

Oliver grinned in response. "It's one of those few funny stories that I remember from those days of my misspent youth and escapades involving Tommy Merlyn."

"Oh this is going to be good," replied Felicity as she licked her lips and rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

"Well, I can tell you at first I didn't think it was good at all," Oliver corrected. "In fact, I was pretty upset with Tommy for as long as I can remember."

"So I'm guessing that lasted, what, about two days?" Felicity teased.

"Try more like almost two weeks," replied Oliver.

Felicity frowned. With everything that she knew about Oliver's and Tommy's friendship, she couldn't believe that those two could have ever not spoken to each other for so long. "So what happened?" she asked.

"It was freshman year in college and we had just finished successfully pledging into Sigma Delta Chi," Oliver began his story. "The Brothers put Tommy and I in charge of planning the chapter's annual Christmas party with our sister Sorority, the Tri-Delts. Tommy insisted that we needed to do a gift exchange as a part of the festivities with the ladies as a way to get in their good graces for the rest of the year. So we convinced the guys that we should each get the girls a necklace with the Greek letters of their house on it and the girls would surprise us with something."

Felicity gave Oliver a confused look and said, "Well, that sounds pretty harmless." Then she asked, "What happened?"

Oliver gave her a lop-sided grin and said, "The night of the party, each one of us had a small jewelry box wrapped in green foil paper and tied with a white bow containing the necklace for each girl." Oliver breathed in deeply and continued, "I had been dating a Tri-Delt who was a Senior..."

"Oooo, an older woman, Mr. Queen, do tell me more," teased Felicity.

Oliver chuckled, "Anyways, each one of the Tri-Delt ladies came into our house for the party carrying a large box wrapped with a huge red bow tied on top. When each girl found her date, they exchanged their presents and opened them." Oliver looked down and shook his head at the memory he was having.

"Come on, Queen," Felicity said as she swatted his arm," Don't leave a girl hanging. Keep going with the story."

Oliver looked up at her with a twinkle in his eye. "Each brother opened their gift and everyone got something different. One guy got a collection of limited edition comic books, another received tickets to a professional football game and Tommy got a series of baseball cards that had been autographed by the Star City Rockets World Series Championship Team."

"Oh, no," exclaimed Felicity. "You didn't..."

"Oh, yes I did," replied Oliver. "I wondered why my date was starting to look squeamish as she watched everyone else open their boxes. When she refused to hand me my gift, I told her to not worry. I was sure I was going to love whatever she had gotten for me. She kept insisting that I not open it in front of everyone, but I wouldn't listen and opened the box to reveal the book 'Sex for Dummies'."

Oliver saw Felicity's look of horror for his experience. "Why would she do that to you in front of your friends?"

Oliver laughed and said, "Oh, she wouldn't have done it if she had only known the truth. Evidently, Tommy had given very specific instructions to the Tri-Delts not to share with their sisters what gifts they had purchased for their dates to the party. He told them that the surprise was really important to the success of the party. He also happened to mention to my date only that it was actually a White Elephant exchange and the funnier the gift the better. Once she noticed what her sisters had purchased for their dates, she realized that Tommy had played a cruel joke on her and me at my expense. My poor date was mortified. She kept apologizing and eventually left the party early. Tommy on the other hand thought it was hilarious. I felt bad for my date and tried to go after her to let her know that it was just Tommy being Tommy, but she refused to talk to me about it. When I got back to the party, Tommy was already so drunk, it wouldn't do either one of us any good so I started packing my bags. The semester had already ended and I knew that I had already not passed my finals, so it was easier to just go home, face my parent's wrath and see what other school they could pay to accept me.

Felicity wrapped her arms around Oliver tightly and said, "I'm so sorry that happened to you, Oliver."

Oliver smiled down at her and said, "It happened so long ago, Babe, it doesn't matter. When I was in the bookstore, I saw it and it honestly made me laugh." His smile grew wider and he continued, "Not just like funny, ha, ha, laugh, but a genuine stomach-aching belly laugh that caused people's heads to turn my way to make sure I was alright."

Felicity looked up at him and asked, "So there's more to this story then?"

Oliver smiled and winked at her, "Oh, yeah!" Then he added, "I ignored Tommy's calls for over a week. Then he finally showed up at my parent's house demanding to talk to me. I knew I was going to have to see him anyway as he always spent the week between Christmas and New Year's with my family, so I let him have his say. He told me how he had apologized to my date about what he had done and then apologized to me. I forgave him and we spent the holidays having fun and doing typical Ollie Queen stuff."

"But you got even with him, right?" Felicity asked.

"Epicly!" replied Oliver. "You see, Tommy had been making the rounds at the Tri-Delt house and my Christmas party date wanted him to be taken down a peg or two for the stunt he had pulled."

Felicity grinned at him and said, "Go on..."

Oliver smiled and said, "With a little extra funding from me, she managed to track down all of Tommy's college conquests, plus a few other sympathetic females and convinced them to join her in her plan. On Valentine's Day, Mr. Thomas Merlyn, resident of Sigma Delta Chi House received a truckload of 'Sex for Dummies' books, inscribed with words of wisdom, including recommended pages for him to read and study from the various women he had once dated or who had felt the need to help humble him. The brothers thought it was hilarious. Someone tore out each inscription and framed them for Tommy as a lesson to not use someone to play a practical joke on somebody. Tommy took it with good humor and let me know that the point was made. After that, he always made sure that any practical joke he wanted played, he did it himself."

Felicity just shook her head and said, "Well, Mr. Queen, let me assure you that you have no need for that book, whatsoever."

Oliver cocked his right eyebrow up and replied, "Why thank you, Ms. Smoak, for that vote of confidence." Then he kissed her deeply and intensely, ready to continue another round of what they had started since he knew that practice makes perfect.

The next day as they entered the lair, Oliver and Felicity heard a distinctly confused sounding Diggle, "What the hell is this?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this little snip-it. Please drop me a line if you are so inclined. :-)


	4. Priorities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity stolen moment in the lair...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my dear friend and talented author laurabelle2930 sent me a prompt for something during 5x01.
> 
> I hope you like this little gift for your birthday my friend.
> 
> XXOOXX
> 
> Vanessa

“Ding”

Oliver heard his phone’s familiar ring when a text message arrived, but ignored it. Instead, he chose to focus on the arrow prep he was working on for that night’s patrol.

“Ding” 

“Ding”

“Ding”

“Ding”

Felicity looked up from her monitor’s screen and over at Oliver, who was meticulously sharpening each arrow before inserting it into his quiver. She loved how the little sparks would fly as the wheel turned and rubbed against the metal. It reminded her of the sparklers her neighbors in Vegas would share with her on the Fourth of July. She watched as he gently held the arrowhead against the sharpening wheel. His fingers holding the arrowhead perfectly and firmly in place so that no side was sharpened any more than the other. If archery was a science, Oliver Queen had a Ph.D. in it, she mused and smiled. Even at peace, Oliver’s stance remained strong. His feet planted firmly on the ground ready to engage should it become necessary. As he pressed the arrowhead down she could see the muscles in his arms flex with an intensity she was familiar with. An intensity that had brought her pleasure on multiple occasions…

“Ding”

Felicity shook her head, trying to drive those thoughts out of her head. Why is he ignoring those incoming messages, she wondered? “Aren’t you going to see who’s texting you?” asked Felicity, as she watched him where he was sitting at his work bench.

Oliver never looked up from his task and answered, “It’s just Thea.”

Felicity furrowed her brow at him and tilted her head. Thea, she thought and then looked at the clock on her computer screen, it was 10:30 a.m. Then she said out loud at him, “Oliver! It’s 10:30 a.m.! The City Council meeting started over an hour ago!”

Oliver stopped what he was doing and sighed. He didn’t want to look at her and see the disappointment on her face for having skipped out on another City Council meeting. He didn’t want to say the words that he thought every moment he was here in the bunker…with her. Was he finally willing to admit that he skipped those meetings to spend more time with her there in their special place. The place that they built together. The only place left where they weren’t afraid of the memories that it held of their time together. The last place they could be together, even if they weren’t together…

Oliver finally looked up at her and replied, “I already reviewed the Departmental reports yesterday and left them on Thea’s desk so that she could get the answers to the questions I have.”

Felicity frowned. What happened that made him more focused on being the Green Arrow and less focused on being the Mayor of Star City? “Oliver, you have a responsibility to the people who elected you Mayor or don’t you care about them anymore?” Her eyes widened in regret as soon as the words came out of her mouth and she gasped as soon as she saw the hurt that appeared in Oliver’s eyes at her words. She quickly added, “I’m sorry, Oliver. That was uncalled for.”

Oliver placed down the arrow he was sharpening and walked towards her. “It’s just us now, Felicity,” he said as his arms spread wide, trying to encompass the open space in the lair. “We’re all that’s left now and right now, this is the priority.” He stopped a few feet away from her, needing a buffer between them, lest he be tempted to bring her into his embrace. He placed his hands in his pockets and continued, “We are both making this our priority now.”

Felicity slowly moved her chair backwards and away from him. He was right. They were both spending so much time in the lair…together. She knew what she was hiding from while down there as “Overwatch”. What was he hiding from while he down there, she wondered? “I just think…I just think that you might want to spend a few more hours each day up there…at City Hall. You have a new team there that is also counting on you, Oliver. They need you, too.”

Oliver looked at her and hoped that she needed him as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think and leave me a comment.  
> I hope you enjoyed it. I have to admit, I did tear up a bit as I was writing this.  
> Too bad I already finished my last bottle of Nocking Point...


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a short scene I've been thinking about that occurs during the episode "Human Target".  
> So here’s a little scene I created that occurs right before Oliver shows up on Felicity’s balcony...  
> Please let me know what you think.

There was nothing as calming as the familiar sounds of Star City outside her window, Felicity mused as she prepared to take another sip of her hot tea. She blew a cooling breath across the top of the steaming beverage before placing the mug up to her lips. The familiar mint scent should have brought a smile to her face, but as she sipped, the burn of the too hot beverage, stung her tongue, causing her to chastise herself for not being careful. She placed the mug down on the coffee table in front of her and saw the front page headline lauding The Flash for saving Central City once again. She shook her head and thought of the man who was supposed to be her friend, Barry Allen. A frown soon marred her countenance as thoughts of what might have been bombarded her. 

It had been over three months since Barry had shown up in the Lair telling her about what he had done with the timeline and how every time he had tried to reverse what he had done, something else changed. She hadn’t dared ask what was different in her world. Hadn’t there already been enough damage in her life to last a lifetime? What use was it for her to wonder if there had been a timeline that existed where Oliver never lied to her and included her in all of his decisions? Did she dare hope that in this alternate version they would have had their own Happily Ever After?

She hadn’t told anyone about her conversation with Barry. Now, who was keeping secrets from who? It wasn’t even her biggest secret. Did her knowledge that they were living in an alternate timeline trump the fact that she was now seeing someone else and hadn’t said anything? They were being discreet with their new relationship. No midnight runs to Big Belly Burger, no date nights at the movies or attending events together. Actually, she hadn’t gone to a public event since…well, since the tree lighting ceremony…Thank goodness they both kept odd hours or she would have to explain her whereabouts to him, and she wasn’t prepared to have that discussion…yet.

She stood up from the couch and walked over toward the open door of the balcony to breathe in the cool, crisp night air. There she stood, waiting for another man to come to their home…her home. A man who hadn’t lied to her. A man who also worked to serve this city…to protect this city…their city. Was she placing him on pedestal? Maybe. Was it fair to compare him to Oliver when there was really no comparison? Oliver was adventure, danger and surprise, while he was none of those things. He was reliable, brave and predictable. Is that what she wanted for her life? Did she want someone who was everything Oliver was not? Is he what she wanted now? Is he what she thought she deserved now? Did she deserve more? She didn’t dare answer that question as she stepped out onto her balcony…


	6. An Unexpected Gesture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's a little something I wrote before Christmas. I know that they may not be everyone's favorite characters. However, I think there's more to them than meets the eye... I hope you like this...

An Unexpected Gesture

"What's this?" Rory asked as he held up the small box wrapped in newspaper. He looked around the room at his fellow teammates. Curtis and Rene, looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders at the same time.

"I don't know," replied Rene as he walked away and headed toward the punching bag to begin his workout.

"Aren't you going to open it?" asked Curtis as he smiled in anticipation of seeing what Rory had been given.

"I don't know," replied Rory. "Isn't it kind of creepy to receive a gift with no note as to who it's from?"

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Curtis. "You've got a Secret Santa!"

"Secret Santa?" questioned Rory. "Why me?"

Curtis replied incredulously, "What does it matter? It's a gift!"

Rory protested, "But I'm Jewish."

"It's the 'Giving Season', Dude," Curtis chided. "Open it and see what you got."

Rory looked down at the small box and gently unwrapped the newspaper. He held up the box and smiled. He had received a box of his favorite tea bags.

"Hey, Mr. T!" shouted Rene from the workout area. "It looks like someone left you a little package over here at your workstation."

Curtis vaulted over the railing and ran over to where his equipment was stored. There, in the middle of his various works-in-progress, sat a small box wrapped in newspaper. Curtis clapped his hands and did a little jig at the sight of the box of unknown origin. He picked it up and tore off the wrapping to reveal a small box of Lego blocks. "I love Legos!" Curtis shrieked. He ripped open the box and began building the little train that appeared on the cover of the box.

Rory looked over and saw Rene give a slight smile as he watched Curtis play with his blocks. As soon as Rene saw him looking at him, he frowned and continued punching the bag. Rory walked over to Rene and whispered, "Thank you."

"I don't know why you're thanking me," responded Rene without missing a punch on the bag.

Rory tilted his head slightly, grinned, nodded his head and walked back over to where Curtis was playing.

"Rene!" shouted Curtis. "Any mysterious packages for you?"

Rene punched the bag harder and answered, "Nah, man. Don't you remember...Guys like me only get coal in their stockings."

Curtis nervously chuckled and Rory shook his head no at him. 

Later that night after Rory and Curtis had left the lair, Rene got ready to settle down for the night. As he slipped he hand underneath his pillow, his fingers came into contact with a small folded piece of paper. He sat up in his cot and pulled the paper out to unfold it. As he looked down at it, he saw a pencil rendering of him in his Wild Dog outfit. A small note attached read:

Rene-   
Thank you for making this holiday season a little brighter for me. This is my first Hanukkah without my family and friends from Havenrock.   
Your thoughtful gift of my favorite tea means more to me than any other gift I've ever received. I hope my sketch of you reminds you that you aren't just a vigilante, you're a hero and my friend too.   
-Rory 

Rene smiled to himself, folded the note and drawing, and placed them both inside his pillow. As he lay back down and rolled onto his side, a small tear slipped out as he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Comments and if you liked it, kudos are appreciated... :-)


	7. Holy Frack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's a little something I wrote for @smoakromanoff for the Olicity Secret Santa 2016 project. It's fluffy... :-)

“Holy Frack!” was all he heard as he headed back down the stairs to the family room. There in the middle of a sea of wrapping paper, assorted bike parts, bows, ribbons, gift tags and a tool box was his beautiful wife of over ten years. As stepped off the final step, he looked at the mantel clock to indeed confirm the time was already 1 a.m.

“Don’t say, it, Oliver,” was his wife’s only utterance as she refused to look up into the laughing eyes of her beloved husband.

“I wasn’t going to say anything, Felicity,” Oliver replied with a slight chuckle.

Felicity groaned and placed both hands on top of her head, willing the added weight miraculously remove the current pounding headache she was experiencing as she tried to put together the twins’ bicycles. “Alright, fine,” Felicity was ready to admit defeat. “You were right.”

“I’m sorry, My Love, but could you please say that one more time for me?” requested Oliver with a certain satisfaction of being right…in this instance.

“When the sales guy offered to assemble the bikes for us, we should have just let him do it,” she replied grudgingly.

Oliver moved over some of the parts and wrapping materials to make a spot for him to be able to sit next to her. “I have an idea,” he informed her.

“Please, don’t hold me in suspense, Babe,” she replied. “I’d love to get this done and go to bed as soon as possible.”

Oliver reached down and grabbed the wrench from her hand. “How about you let me work on this while you finish stuffing our kids’ stockings on the fireplace?”

Felicity leaned into her husband and gave him a much appreciated kiss of thanks. “I will take you up on that offer and will raise it by suggesting that the sooner you get finished the sooner you can find out if Santa brought you a present upstairs.”

“I think I’ll enjoy unwrapping that gift…slowly,” he replied cheekily, then swatted at her bottom as she scooted away from him and over to the stockings waiting to be stuffed.

Oliver focused on the task at hand, amazed at how many parts the twins’ bikes had come with in the box. It took about fifteen minutes to get the parts sorted and ready to assemble. Ready to start making sense of everything, he reached for the directions and began making the gifts the twins’ had told Santa they wanted.

Felicity had left the room to gather the rest of the stocking stuffers Oliver had purchased and hidden in a cupboard in the kitchen. She grabbed the two bags from the top of the pantry and swung them down, accidentally knocking over her favorite cereal’s storage container, spilling the contents all over the floor of the pantry. “Oh, frack, frack, frack!” she said in disgust with herself at what she had done.   
She put the bags down and ran over to the counter to grab paper towels to clean up the mess she had just made. She used her hands to pick up most of the wasted cereal and throw it away in the garbage. When she went back and picked up the container, bemoaning the loss of her favorite breakfast she knew how to make, she noticed something shiny staring back at her from the bottom of the container and gasped.

There, at the bottom of her favorite cereal’s container was a beautiful emerald ring. She ran over to the kitchen island and emptied the container on the counter to get to the ring. It was simply stunning.   
An emerald cut emerald with two triangular shaped diamonds buffering it on either side with a platinum band that simply called her name. Had he meant to surprise her tomorrow morning at breakfast?   
Or was this one of those Happy New Year gifts he often gave her to celebrate their everlasting love for one another.

A gentle “Hey” started her and she turned around to see her husband smiling at her.

“I finished putting the bikes together…” Oliver saw that she had found the ring he had meant to surprise her with and placed it on her finger.

“Surprise?” Felicity said with a gentle smile.

“You found my surprise for you, I see,” he remarked as he sauntered closer to his wife.

Felicity wrapped her left arm around Oliver’s neck and the placed her right hand on his chest, admiring the well-chosen gift, “It’s beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you are babe,” he replied softly and leaned down to kiss his wife. Then he pulled back slightly and whispered in her ear, “Happy New Year Felicity.”

Felicity sighed and rested her head against his chest, still admiring the ring on her finger. “Did you finish the bikes already?”

Oliver kissed the top of her head and answered, “Done and done.”

She gently pulled away from him, and suggested, “Then how about I clean up in here, you stuff the stockings and then I’ll show you how thankful I am for this lovely gift you got me?”

Oliver hopped away from his wife grabbed the bags in the pantry and ran back into the other room.

Felicity chuckled and cleaned up the mess in the pantry. It was definitely going to be a Good Night!


	8. The Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's a one shot I wrote for @cherchersketch for Christmas. You can see the lovely piece of artwork she created for it on my tumblr page.

The Letter

"No, no, no..." Felicity exclaimed as she quickly got down on her hands and knees to take a look at where the sparks and smoke were coming from under her workstation. As she removed the metal panel that hid the cables and circuits from view, she noticed a piece of paper hidden underneath the damaged terminal. She grabbed the paper and placed it to the side, then made sure that the components were no longer smoking or burning. She actually was looking forward to repairing the equipment as it meant a few more hours before having to go back to their loft... her loft...the loft. Ugh! Even in her own mind she couldn't help but refer to it as 'their' loft.

After finishing up with the repairs, she picked up the folded piece of paper, took a look at it and sat in her chair. She recognized Oliver's steady penmanship right away and began to refold it to give back to him when she noticed her name written at the top of the page. She flattened the letter out and began to read the words Oliver had written, but for whatever reason had not given to her.

Felicity-

You once told me that as long as I was in your life, you would be happy. Our lives may have taken a completely different path than I expected a year ago and I recognize that what happened to alter our course was because of a decision I made. I am so sorry that my poor choices led you to a place where you found that happiness with someone else. Someone, who makes you happy. Something, that I have only ever wanted for you.

I hope you know that as long as you are in my life, you make me happy. You staying and continuing to work together with me to save Star City was more generous than I could ever of wished for from you. I hope that as we continue to work side-by-side, you will see through my words and deeds that I am and will always be yours and yours alone.

I know it's too late to ask for forgiveness, let alone expect it. I only ask that you remember the words I've spoken to you. I made a vow that I would never lie to you again. It is my solemn pledge to you that no matter what comes our way, you will never have a reason to doubt me. 

I love you, Felicity. I always will.

Oliver

Felicity held the letter to close to her heart and let the tears stream down her face. Why had he chosen not to give this letter to her? What does reading this letter now mean to her? 

He had to have written this letter before Billy died, she thought. Now, what does it mean to her. His words were so poignant and expressive. She could feel their power and meaning wash over her as she reread each word. She wiped away a fresh set of tears that these words had brought upon her again.

She stood up from her chair and looked around the lair. Oliver hadn't been back in the lair for several weeks since Billy's death. He had chosen to spend most of his days and nights in the Mayor's Office. She had told him that she blamed Prometheus for what happened to Billy. Did he believe her? She let out a deep breath, wiped away the remaining tears and folded the letter into her pocket. She knew what she needed to do. She grabbed her handbag and tablet, left the lair and made her way to the only person who could answer all her questions...Oliver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think. :-)


	9. Olicity Secret Santa Story – A Tree Full of Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The season of sharing upon us and it was a true delight to write this for @onceuponanolicity. It’s a fluffy AU with no Island back story. I hope you enjoy it, Heather, and Happy Holidays! Wishing you Season’s Greetings, Vanessa (@vaelizamaza).

A cold shiver ran down the length of her back as she hurried down the gravel path in front of her. She pulled her hands out of her pockets, momentarily stopping to pull the ends of her coat together in one last attempt to get the crappy zipper to finally work and help stave off the cold, early Sunday morning air. Hearing the familiar crack of the zipper as it wound its way up the front of her jacket to finally offer her a modicum of protection from the frigid temperatures, she quickly smiled and hoped luck was finally smiling down on her. She continued along the path and looked up. She could see an old wooden sign letting her know that she was almost to her destination. Why, oh, why was she out in this early morning frost hunting for a Christmas tree when she was Jewish, she asked herself? Then she remembered the group of children she had been tutoring at the local community center and knew she needed to bring them a real tree for them to enjoy this holiday season, especially after hearing one of the kids remarking that the only pine tree they had seen was the little cardboard one hanging from the rearview mirror of their Mom’s boyfriend’s car. That little nugget of information was exactly what reinforced her decision to brighten these children’s holiday season.

Felicity kept walking until she could fully see the wooden sign more clearly. The raised letters on the wooden sign proclaimed, “Queen Family Farm” in faded red, peeling paint. She looked around her surroundings and saw rows and rows of pine trees in front of her at every stage of growth. She continued walking toward a row of smaller trees that barely came up to her waist. She crouched down next to one with full bushy branches, leaned her nose into it, inhaled the clean, woodsy pine scent it gave off naturally and sighed. It reminded her of the Ramirez household from her childhood growing up in Las Vegas. Whenever Felicity’s Mom had to work late at night, the Ramirez family always opened their home to her. Mrs. Ramirez always made sure her family had a real pine tree every year for Christmas. During the holidays, she would make tamales as a special treat for the family and would even have a special batch just for Felicity that contained no lard so she could join them at their holiday meal.”

“That little tree needs a few more years before I’d recommend you taking it home, Miss,” a voice stated breaking her out of her reverie. 

Felicity looked up behind her and saw a kindly looking older gentleman with bright blue eyes staring down at her. He wore a pair of faded jeans, red checkered flannel shirt and a brown suede jacket lined with fleece to help keep him warm. She smiled back at him and asked, “Oh, does it have to be a certain height before you cut it like how puppies have to be a certain age before you adopt them?”

The older gentleman chuckled, shook his head no and replied, “Nothing like that Miss. It’s just that most people like their trees to be at least 6 feet or taller.” His laughing blue eyes smiled down on her. He added, “I don’t think anyone has ever asked me that question before and my family’s been growing these trees on this farm for over three generations.” 

“So, you’re Mr. Queen?” she asked.

“Please, Miss, call me Robert,” he requested. “My father was Mr. Queen.”

“Then you must call me Felicity,” she replied and extended her right hand to him, which he promptly shook.

He nodded his head toward another row of trees to the right of him and added, “You might want to take a look at the trees growing in the rows over yonder, Felicity.”

She smiled back at the older gentleman. “I’m not sure those trees will fit in my car,” she informed him as visions of her little red and white Mini-Cooper popped into her head. She wasn’t even all that confident that the little tree she had been eyeing would even fit in her back seat. Not to mention the fact that anything taller than her and the children at the community center wouldn’t be able to decorate it, she thought.

Robert’s eyes grew somber and he asked, “Do you mean the Dearden Children’s Center?”

Felicity mentally face palmed herself, nodded her head yes, smiled and answered, “I volunteer there as a math tutor. I had hoped to buy them a little tree to decorate and brighten up the center for the holidays, especially since it’s going to be closing for good soon.”

The older man’s eyes hardened for a moment and he looked down as he removed the work gloves from his hands. When he looked back up at Felicity, she noticed that his eyes had softened. Then Robert asked, “I thought that place was funded by one of the local families?”

Felicity shrugged her shoulders and replied, “I don’t know all the specifics, only that the major benefactor passed away recently. Her family no longer lives here anymore. I guess since they don’t live here, there’s no one left who can support the center financially.”

The older gentleman smirked and looked away from her toward the row of trees he had pointed out to her earlier. He turned back to face her, leaned his head in the direction of where he had just been looking and suggested, “I think you’ll find what you’re looking for over there.”

Felicity smiled at the older man and started towards the row of trees he was suggesting. The first few trees were definitely-too tall for her to handle. She continued walking down the row of trees, when just as she was getting ready to start questioning the wisdom of the man’s suggestion, there in the middle of this section of pines, stood a tree that looked like every Hallmark Channel Christmas movie tree she had ever seen. It was perfect. Not too tall or too short, this tree had full bushy branches perfect for the paper garland she planned on having the children create out of different geometric shapes. She began to take a few steps back to admire the tree, when she stepped into a small hole in the ground and lost her balance. As her body fell back, she heard someone say, “I’ve got you,” then felt two strong arms encircle her as she fell on top of a hard body, cushioning her fall.

Felicity braced her hands on broad shoulders beneath her, pushed her torso up a little and opened her eyes to see who her rescuer could be. All she could think of was that she was looking into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. 

“Thank you,” her rescuer replied with a smile that brightened his face and caused little butterflies to flutter in her stomach. He had just the right amount of scruff to make him look rugged instead of grungy.

Felicity scrambled up and off her rescuer, slightly embarrassed she had expressed that sentiment out loud. “I’m so sorry I fell on top of you,” she stammered. “I should have been more careful of where I was going.”

“No worries,” replied her rescuer as he too stood up and shook the fallen pine needles that covered his back. 

His bright smile was infectious. She smiled in return and offered, “Let me help you with that.” Felicity proceeded to wipe away the pine needles he was not able to reach on his back. She continued to smile and couldn’t help but admire the broad shoulders that filled out his suede jacket and how nicely his form-fitting jeans looked from behind. “I’m Felicity by the way and thank you for saving me from my klutziness.” 

“I’m Oliver,” the man said as he turned around to face her, leaned in and whispered, “and you’re welcome.” They stood there smiling at each other for a long moment, when the clearing of a throat grabbed both of their attention.

“Son, Felicity here is looking for a tree for the kids down at the Dearden Center,” Robert explained with a sad look in his eye.

Oliver looked at his Father for a moment and frowned. Moira’s place more like it, he thought. The only thing that ever mattered to the woman who gave birth to him and then abandoned her family to return to the City and the lifestyle his Father could not provide her out here on the farm. Just hearing the Dearden name brought back all the hurt and resentment he had thought he had moved past with time. He turned back around to face Felicity. “You work for the Dearden Center?” he asked with a hint of venom.

A small frown marred Felicity’s face as she heard what sounded more like an accusation than a question from the handsome young man who had just been smiling at her. “I volunteer at the Center as a math tutor,” she corrected in reply. Then she looked at Robert and added, “My real job is developing gaming apps for mobile phones.”  
Robert’s eyes grew inquisitive and he inquired, “You wouldn’t happen to have been the one who created ‘Zany Acres’ are you?”

“Yep, that was me,” she admitted, while blushing and smiling at him.

Robert’s eyes twinkled, and he smiled with delight. “I happen to be a Level 52 Urban Landscaper,” he bragged.

Oliver rolled his eyes at his father. His Dad spent almost as much time taking care of his virtual farm on his tablet at night as he spent taking of their real 240-acre Christmas tree farm during the day, he thought to himself. He looked over at Felicity who was beaming at his Father. 

“Oh wow!” she exclaimed. “That’s fantastic!” Then she leaned into Robert and added, “If you give me a great deal on that tree,” she pointed toward the tree she had been admiring before she fell on top of Oliver, “I’d be happy to text you a special code to get you the Goose that lays golden eggs…”

Robert stuck his hand out to Felicity for her to shake and agreed, “Deal!” Felicity shook his hand enthusiastically and smiled. Robert smiled back at her and said, “I’ll have my son bring the tree to you at the center this afternoon.”

“What?!” Oliver questioned. His Dad knew how he felt about traveling into the city, let alone having to go somewhere that was a symbol of everything he ever resented.

Felicity noticed Oliver’s reluctance and offered, “Oh, he doesn’t have to go to any trouble, Robert.” Felicity leaned her head toward the tree and said, “All I need help with is strapping the tree to the roof of my car and I can take it from there.”

Robert shook his head in disagreement. “I wouldn’t hear of it.” He pointed toward the tree and added, “that tree will cave in the roof of your car, Felicity.” Then he looked at his son and his voice got sterner, “Oliver will be happy to take it to town for you and help you put it up in the Center.”

Knowing he wasn’t going to win this battle, Oliver shrugged his shoulders and agreed, “Fine. I’ll take it for her.”

Robert grinned and put an arm around Felicity and said, “Come my Dear, let’s go take care of business while Oliver gets the tree ready.” 

Felicity smiled at Robert, then gave Oliver a surreptitious glance. Oliver gave her a weak smile and said, “I’ll come get you once I have the tree loaded in the truck.”

Felicity nodded her head in agreement and followed where Robert led her.

Finished securing the pine tree in the bed of his truck, Oliver walked over toward where his Dad and Felicity were sitting on the porch steps of his family’s farmhouse. He noticed the steam coming off the hot beverage Felicity was holding in small, delicate hands and knew that his Father was likely using his famous hot chocolate to get a few more tips for playing his favorite video game. He wondered why his father was insisting he help her with this tree. There had been plenty of other people who had come to the farm to buy Christmas trees, yet his Father had never insisted he actually deliver a tree for them. As he approached them, he could see how much his Dad and Felicity were enjoying each other’s company. Felicity looked luminous and so natural sitting there with his father, and it made him smile. Ever since his sister, Thea, had left for college, the two Queen men had started to become a bit stodgy. It was nice having a female there to lighten their environment, even if she was just a city girl.

Felicity, laughing at something Robert had just said, heard the crunch of the gravel and looked in that direction to see Oliver approaching her. She smiled at him and was surprised to see her smile returned.

Robert turned to face his son and admonished, “Son, did you know Felicity here based the game she created on her grandparents’ place in California?”

Felicity watched as a wave of shock crossed Oliver’s face. “My Papa grows stonefruit, pumpkins, watermelons and grapes on his little patch of land,” she informed him. “After my parents’ divorced when I was seven, I lived with them until my mom got back on her feet and we moved to Las Vegas.” Felicity looked back at Robert and added, “my time there holds some of my fondest memories as a child.” Robert then reached for her hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

Oliver’s shock turned into a questioning look. Maybe I shouldn’t be so quick to judge a book by its cover, thought Oliver. “I’ve got the tree all loaded if you’re ready to head back into town,” he let her know. 

Felicity placed her cup down on the porch. “Thank you, Robert, for the wonderful cup of hot chocolate,” she told him.

Robert smiled at her and responded, “and thank you for all the tips you gave me for my game, Felicity.” As they stood up from the porch, he gave Felicity a big hug and added, “you ever feel the need for a properly home-cooked meal, you come on back here and Oliver will make you a pot roast that will curl your toes.”

Felicity blushed as she took a step back from Robert and heard Oliver exclaim, “Dad!”

“What?” Robert complained. “Your pot roast is amazing,” he stated as Oliver just shook his head and Felicity started fiddling with the gloves in her pocket, getting ready to place them on her hands. 

“Yeah, okay, Dad,” Oliver answered as Robert chuckled, then looked at Felicity whose cheeks were still slightly pink and said, “come on Felicity, I’ll follow you into town.” 

“Bye, Robert,” Felicity said, then she leaned back toward him and whispered, “I may take you up on that offer.”

Oliver couldn’t help but feel excited after overhearing what Felicity told his Father.   
**********************************************************************************************

Sunday afternoon wonderfully had no traffic to have to deal with as they made their way into the heart of downtown Starling City. Felicity pulled up to the Dearden Children’s Center and parked in front, while Oliver parked directly behind her. She had called ahead and the Center’s director, Mr. John Diggle, had let her know that he would meet them to open the Center’s doors for them. Felicity introduced John to Oliver and the two men shook hands.

“Did you say your last name is Queen?” John asked Oliver.

Oliver was already walking back toward the truck to start untying the bungee cords holding down the tree in his truck bed. “Yep, I’m Oliver Queen,” he confirmed.

John just gave Oliver a knowing nod of his head, but said nothing else about it. “Let me help you with that,” John said instead, changing the subject.

Oliver and John both placed the tree on their respective shoulders and brought the tree inside the center.

Felicity placed the Christmas tree stand that Robert had given her down in the middle of the room the Center used as a library and study room. She watched as the two men brought the tree into the room and placed it into the stand she had filled with water. Once it was secured in the stand, the three of them stood back to admire the tree.

Oliver looked around the room. He saw pictures on the walls of his favorite childhood books. He gasped when he saw a poster for his absolute favorite childhood story, “A Winkle in Time” hanging on the wall. He had always enjoyed the story and how Calvin, the boy who helped Meg and her brother, Charles Wallace, find their father, was athletic and a good friend to them. It was a story he read often to his sister, Thea, while she was growing up. Unlike, Meg’s father in the story, he didn’t have to use a tesseract to try and find his mother, he knew exactly where his missing mother was. He walked toward the poster and noticed the book sat on a small shelf below the poster. He could hardly believe what he saw. It was a first edition of this book. He picked up the book and opened it. Inside was an inscription that read, “To Oliver, never settle for a life of Happy Mediums, Love, Mother.” Oliver slammed the book shut and put it down. Is that what his Father, him and his sister were to her, nothing more than a happy medium she didn’t want to settle for, he wondered? Is that the real reason why she left? He continued to look around the room and noticed that under each poster was a first edition copy of the corresponding book. 

Felicity walked over to Oliver, placed a hand gently on his arm and asked, “Is everything okay?”

Oliver turned his gaze toward her, took in a deep breath and asked, “Do you know that each one of these books is a first edition?”

Felicity looked at him in shock and shook her head no.

John approached them both and said, “Does that mean that they are valuable?”

Oliver shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not sure, but you might want to have someone take a look at this collection and get it appraised.” He looked at John and added, “Felicity mentioned that the center was having some financial difficulties.”

John nodded his head in agreement and replied bluntly, “Our benefactor recently passed away and her family hasn’t been as philanthropic as she was.” 

Felicity added, “I’ve been trying to help out by applying for a couple of grants and volunteering here as much as possible.”

John smiled at Felicity and added, “You’ve been a great, help Felicity, and the kids really love you.”

Felicity blushed again. “Thanks, John, but you’re the real hero here. I don’t know where this place would be without your leadership and guidance.”

Oliver could tell that their friendship was based on their mutual admiration of their accomplishments and efforts on behalf of the kids that the center served. If his Mother was dead, then the last Dearden heirs were him and his sister. Why hadn’t an attorney tried to contact him? Even if they had, he knew he would have turned their money away. The farm was doing well, and he didn’t need her money, but he knew who did. Oliver looked at Felicity and said, “I have to get back to the farm to help my Dad out.”

Felicity eyes looked disappointed, but she nodded her head in understanding. “Oh, yeah, right…I imagine this must be your busiest time of year,” she replied. Then gave him a quick hug and said, “Thank you again for all your help with the tree. The kids are going to love it.”

Oliver nodded his head in agreement, shook John Diggle’s hand and then quickly left the building.  
***********************************************************************************************************

Two weeks later…

“Oh my God!” exclaimed John Diggle from his office.

Felicity looked around the table at the faces of the children she had been working with that afternoon and said, “I’ll be right back, guys. Make sure you keep working on your multiplication facts.” Then she raced over to John’s office and paused at his doorway. “Is everything okay?”

John stood up from his desk and handed her the piece of paper he had just been reading.

Felicity’s eye grew wide with astonishment. It was a letter from a local attorney letting them know that a Dearden heir had been found and had directed their attorney to set up their inheritance in a trust that would benefit the Children’s Center for a very long, long time. She looked back up from the paper at John and asked, “Any idea who it could be?”

John smiled at her and said, “Remember when you brought Oliver Queen here with you?”

Felicity nodded her head and said with a bit of confusion, “yes, but I don’t understand what that had anything to do with it.”

“I keep forgetting you’re not from around here,” John replied. Then he moved to the front of his desk and sat on the corner’s edge. “Moira Dearden was Moira Queen at one point in her life and Oliver’s mother,” he informed her. “There was some sort of scandal and his Mother divorced his Father, returning to live here in Starling City. Two weeks ago, was the first time I had heard Oliver Queen’s name mentioned in years and you just happened to bring him here to the center his Mother founded.”

“I honestly had no idea…” Felicity replied in earnest. “Do you think that Oliver…?”

“I think that Oliver Queen got inspired by someone to make a difference in the lives of the children in Starling City,” John offered.

Felicity’s jaw dropped. “I think I need to go talk to someone, right now,” Felicity said.

As she was turning to leave John’s office he offered one piece of advice, “Be sure to tell him thank you for me.”

Felicity smiled and nodded her head in agreement as she raced out of the Center and headed to the one place she knew Oliver Queen would be.  
************************************************************************************************************

“Why would you give away that money, Ollie?” Thea asked her older brother as she wrapped the stray pine tree branches into a wreath. “You could have used it to help Dad out here on the farm or maybe gone a really long vacation?”

“I did the only thing I could do with that money, Thea,” Oliver replied as he worked on his own wreath, “I am making a difference in the lives of children who deserve the opportunity to have a safe place to go to and get the chance to learn new experiences their parents might not be able to afford to give them.”

The sound of footsteps approaching the siblings had them look up from their task at hand. “Look who I found wandering around the pine trees,” an ecstatic Robert Queen announced as Felicity strode next to him.

Thea looked at her brother expectantly as their Dad and the pretty blond approached. She extended her hand out and introduced herself, “Hi, I’m Thea Queen.”

Felicity smiled at her and replied, “Nice to meet you. I’m Felicity Smoak.” Then she turned her attention toward Oliver and gave him an even brighter smile. “Do you have a minute?”

Oliver nodded his head and motioned for her to follow him as he headed for another area of larger pine trees. He turned his head slightly to see his Father and sister exchange knowing smiles.

“I want to say thank you for what you did for the Children’s Center,” Felicity said as they walked through the rows of trees. “It made a real difference for the neighborhood kids and my friend, John.”

“You’re welcome,” Oliver answered.

“I didn’t know who you were when I came here,” she added, “I only came out here because the lady at Big Belly Burger recommended your family’s farm.”

Oliver smiled at her. He hadn’t been to Big Belly Burger in years. He looked at Felicity and said, “I didn’t want Moira’s money or anything to do with her after everything that happened. Going with you to the Children’s center to deliver that tree helped me to realize that maybe she had her reasons for doing what she did. When I saw that book’s inscription, I think I got a slightly better understanding of her. She warned me not to settle for what was comfortable. The only thing is, living on this farm, isn’t exactly comfortable. We work really, hard here to make sure this farm is a success and we thrive on it. She was the one who couldn’t find a way to thrive here in the country.”

Felicity stood closer to him and asked, “Is that why you gave the Center all that money? To prove that you don’t need her?”

Oliver shook his head no and replied, “I gave the center that money because I knew it was the right thing to do…and I had hoped it would make you smile.”

Felicity looked up at him with a genuine look of happiness on her face. “I think that is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me,” she admitted as she reached for his hand.

Oliver intertwined his hand with hers and asked, “If you’re interested, I have a pot roast in the oven for dinner tonight. Would you like to join us?”

Felicity looked up at him and saw his eyes twinkling back at her. Before she could reply, a light snowfall started to rain down on them and Felicity shivered.

Oliver reached up and gently tugged her closer to him. “We better get inside before this weather turns colder,” he suggested.

Felicity smiled back at him and feeling bold, wrapped her arms around him and replied, “Well, I hear that your pot roast is toe-curling, delicious.”

Oliver chuckled, leaned down until his nose was a hair’s breath away from hers and answered, “The only way to find out is to try it…”

Felicity tilted her chin up and said, “There’s no other choice to make.” Then she leaned forward and sealed her decision with a kiss.


	10. Tea for Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's a little story I wrote for my dear friend @oliverfel4 on the happy occasion of her birthday.
> 
> There's a beautiful edit done by the lovely @mel-loves-all to accompany this story. You can find it on my Tumblr dashboard.

“I told you, Helen, that they would get back together!” exclaimed Beverly as she entered the little café and shook the Star City Inquisitor front page in her best friend’s face while she sat down at their small table. “Didn’t I tell you I saw them having dinner that one-night Harold took me out to that fancy-schmancy restaurant Uptown?”

Helen quietly sipped her favorite Lemongrass and Mint Hot Tea, remembering to nod in the appropriate places as Beverly expounded on the latest news about Star City’s favorite couple. 

“…and then I asked them if they were back together and how I thought they were such a sweet couple,” Beverly told her.

Helen smiled at her best friend. “Now that your favorite local celebrity couple is married, whatever are you going to do to keep yourself busy?” she asked with gentle smile playing across her face.

Beverly beamed a large knowing grin at Helen and replied, “Oh, it’s all about ‘Olicity Baby Watch 2018’ my dear.” Then she shook the tabloid inside photo spread at Helen and reiterated, “I mean look at this man!” Then Beverly pulled the pages back toward her, admiring the photos of Mayor Queen in all of his tuxedoed glory. “There’s no way they are going to make their fans wait for a little prince or princess of Star City to arrive.”

“I don’t know, Bev. They might want to wait a bit,” warned Helen. “Didn’t the Mayor just find out he had a son who recently moved in with him and now he’s got a new wife?”

“Oh shush, Toots,” Beverly chided. “Don’t you know it’s ‘true love’ for Olicity?” Then without bothering to wait for a response, Beverly continued, “Those two have been through so much. From that terrible terrorist attack the night of their first engagement two years ago to their break-up, and then that brief…” Beverly paused for a moment, shuddered and added, “period of time when they dated other people before finally finding their way back to each other this year…”

“Alright, alright, alright my Dear,” Helen soothed. “If they could survive all of that and still find their way back to each other, maybe a little bundle of joy isn’t too far off in their future,” she agreed.

Beverly rewarded her best friend with a bright smile. “I knew you’d agree with me!” Then Beverly scooted her chair closer to her friend and whispered, “I’ve got an Olicity Baby Watch Pool going on with my Mahjong Group…do you want to get in on the action?”

Helen grinned, nodded her head and said, “Put me down for November 30, 2018.”

Beverly reached into her purse, pulled out a small green notebook and wrote down Helen’s prediction.”

“Excuse me,” a deep voice from behind the two women interrupted. 

Both women looked up at the person and gasped. 

“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation and wanted to know if you’d mind if I could get in on that action too?” a smiling Oliver Queen inquired.

A blushing Beverly, slowly nodded her head yes, embarrassed that the Mayor had overhead them. 

Helen smiled and replied, “I believe you’ve managed to render my best friend speechless, Mr. Mayor.”

“I take it that doesn’t happen very often?” he asked with a smile.

Helen giggled, “No…not too often.”

Beverly discovered her voice again and said, “It’s no fair if you have any insider information, Mr. Mayor. It would give you an unfair advantage.”

“I agree with the Ladies, Mr. Mayor,” a grinning Felicity added as she wrapped her arm around her Husband’s back and then sipped on her steaming hot beverage. “You might have a little in-…”

Oliver leaned down and kissed his wife gently on her lips to prevent her from finishing that sentence. Then he kissed her nose, stood up, looked at the two ladies sitting at their table and replied, “Looks like I’m going to have to pass on participating in your pool, Ladies.”

“Well, I still think you’re the sweetest couple,” answered Beverly as the Mayor and his new bride began walking toward the door of the café.

Felicity was the first to exit, but Oliver paused for a moment at the door, turned back toward the two ladies and mouthed, “put me down for November 24th.” Then he gave the ladies a wink and shut the café door behind him as he exited to join his wife outside. 

The two women looked at each other in shock, then grinned, laughed and clapped their hands in delight. Maybe a new addition to the Mayor’s household was imminent, the two ladies hoped with anticipation.

**Author's Note:**

> Your comments are always appreciated.  
> Thank you so very much for reading my little drabble.


End file.
